Subtraction

The wind whispered for a moment.

Stunned, Mitch and his gang didn't even think. 'What?' Kosmas thought. 'Can't this guy tell we're robbing him?'

Suddenly, the three men felt a chill down their spines. The dry wind cut into their bones, while the sun baked their skin. But his eyes, his eyes made them feel oh, so cold.

"Your other option," Dr. Silver said, "is to die. What will it be, gentleman?"

Kosmas involuntarily shivered. He tried to turn, to look at his cohorts, only to find his body frozen, stuck in place like an icicle in a winter cave. He panicked, tried to move, wriggle, blink, anything… but alas, all he could do was stare into the eyes of the monster before him. Minutes passed in his silent struggle before he caved in. Why fight someone so far above you, when you can serve him instead? Maybe, just maybe, he could lead a better life under this man. With that, Kosmas, kneeled.

"Kosmas?" "Kosmas! What are you doing?" Mitch and Gerhard yelled. But Kosmas simply knelt there, waiting for the man's response.

"Come here.. Kosmas, was it? You won't regret your choice." Dr. Silver smiled, and all the fear Kosmas felt seemed like nary but a dream. He stood, and walked to Dr. Silver's side, facing the two friends of his that still resisted. 'Give up,' he thought. 'It's not worth your life, just give up.' Yet, his prayers went unanswered.

Mitch looked at Gerhard, and then they both nodded. With a roar, Mitch hefted his axe and sprinted forward, aiming to split the heavens and the earth if they stood in his way. Gerhard vanished, naught but a shadow on the ground.

Cling!

Mitch looked blank. 'What?' he thought. 'What just happened?' He blinked, then shook his head and blinked again. The scene was the same, but he just couldn't believe it. There was a thud, as the rest of his axe left his hands and joined the head on the hard ground. A finger, stood out in the silence, raised as if to say, 'ah ah ah'. A single finger, yet Mitch's prized possession, his axe, his wife, lay split upon the ground in front of him, the shaft broken cleanly. He dropped to his knees.

Haiya! Gerhard suddenly appeared behind the man, his dagger raised, his arm falling down as the harbinger of death. His smile was assured, he had done it, the man before him was already dead in his eyes, clutching his chest as his heart was torn out. Yet, he never got to see it.

In the others' eyes, the man didn't even notice, he just stood there. He just stood there, but their eyes widened. Gerhard, so assured he had won, simply turned to dust. No yelling. No struggle. The last thing they saw was his face, still so sure of victory. His eyes were still so proud. And then he was gone.

Dr. Silver dusted his hands. "Now then, are we all in agreeance?"

Kosmas nodded. Dom nodded as well, the glaze in his eyes gone, replaced by fear. Mitch just sat there, knees on the ground. He looked lost. How had it come to this? This was supposed to be a quick stop, for entertainment more than anything, so how did it come to this? Where did he go wrong?

"Mitch. Mitch, you all right? Mitch! MITCH!"

"Huh?" Mitch raised his head, startled. Kosmas stood above him, yelling.

"You alright dude?" Mitch sighed. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just lost myself for a second."

"Well great, at least one of us is okay," a voice from Mitch's side grumbled. "I was literally controlled." His eyes widened, and his head turned. "You were what?"

"I know, isn't it just so funny." Dom stood off to the side, clearly not pleased with himself. "I never even got a chance to resist."

"Ahem."

Three pairs of eyes turned.

"Now, I'm sure the three of you are unwilling, but I really do need the help, and I will repay you for your service. Later, of course. Right now, I'm sure you three are quite worn out, but we have some work to be done." Dr. Silver stood forward. "Now, my name is Silver, and my goal here is to build a quaint little town away from everything, a resort if you will."

"What?!" The three looked at Dr. Silver in shock.

"Yeah yeah. Not the first time I've been called crazy, but you'll see." He scratched his head. "Now, Dom, I need you to make an inventory of all our food and water."

HUP! THUD.

A book hit Dom in the face, followed by a quill and ink. "To be honest, you don't look like you can do the heavy work, so just take inventory and gather everything by that hole," Silver said, pointing to the stone hole next to his cottage. "As for you two…" He thought to himself, before running into the cottage and retrieving a shovel and a pair of gloves. "One of you clears the surroundings, and the other digs a decent-sized hole for a foundation. Good? Good. If you need me, I will be inside, be sure to knock first." And with that, Silver retreated into his cottage, leaving the three men to do their assigned tasks.

Dom scratched his head. "Um, does he just trust us not to run?" The other two looked at him.

Mitch smacked his bad head. "What? Are you kidding? That guy could kill us with a thought! How far do you think we could even get?" "Heheh, yeah I guess you're right." Dom laughed awkwardly, rubbing his head. "Did you really have to hit me though?"

"He needed to smack some sense into you," Kosmas interjected with a grin. "No matter what, you're still a little slow huh." "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ahahahaha!"

"Hehehehe."

"Oh, whatever!" Dom stomped his foot and turned towards the carriage. "See ya, I'm going to take inventory like the new Boss said."

"See ya." "See ya."

The three men split up and began to work. They were tired, but what could they do? Work or no work, the night was destined to be a sleepless one.